If you had $1,000 to spend on a shack?

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radio10-8

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I have always been a mobile scanner user. I never wanted to set up a home shack until now. I listen to Air, Mil-Air, UHF and VHF. No 800 listening as of yet. I have NO HOA or wife restrictictions. I need an external antenna or maybe two? I also need a "Base" scanner. Now with this in mind and a budget of up to $1,000 what can I do? Before people tell me that only "I" can tell what is best for me. I am asking my fellow enthusiasts for a little guidance, I am not new to scanning, but I am new to scanning from home.
 

WX4JCW

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Scanner: Uniden 996T
Antenna: Scantenna or Grove scanner beam with rotor

Just my personal opinion
 

nexus

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Your question is confusing and conflicting...

On one hand you're asking US (the readers) to post on "if you had $1000 to spend on a shack?" implying that you want us to tell you WHAT WE WOULD BUY with $1000 for a shack, and on the other hand you say "Before people tell me that only "I" can tell what is best for me. I am asking my fellow enthusiasts for a little guidance"

Do you mean "me" as in you, or "me" as in the person trying to tell you?

Ok that got a little confusing.. hehe

If you're looking for guideance on stuff to buy for home scanning, and it relating to what your interests are. I'd have to say get a Uniden BC-760 I've read that for AERO/MILAIR it's one of the best out there. check out http://www.milaircomms.com he has a lot of info on his shack.

The antenna is going to be a very important part. IF I HAD 1000 DOLLARS to spend with no restrictions, I'd try to find a 50 foot tower from a hamfest or something at a good price, probably in the 300-500 range, then get a 4 ft. section of piping and mount it cross way at the top of the tower to add more antennas.

I'd buy a HUSTLER DISCONE and probably a VHF groundplane cut for the aero band and mount those on either side of the cross bar with Belden RG-214 coax, and on the center of the mast I'd probably put a VHF/UHF beam on a roter. Using the same cable.

And then feed those into a multiplexer in the shack, and from the multiplexer you could connect however many scanners you wanted to those three antennas. check out milaircomms's setup. its really neat.

If the tower thing is too much, you could look at getting 5 10" sections of mast and errect that on the side of the house. height is very important. If I had the money and no restrictions thats what I would focus on. The structure and the antennas.
 

safetyobc

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Stormchaser_35 said:
Scanner: Uniden 996T
Antenna: Scantenna or Grove scanner beam with rotor

Just my personal opinion

I agree with this 100%.

Although, if I had $1000, I'd probably buy the above plus a BCT15 or 2 and another Scantenna.
 

BoxAlarm187

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As the others have said, I would probably buy a 996T or BCT-15, depending on what your digital needs are. If you go the route of the BCT-15, I would actually buy two since they're cheaper. You'd be able to hook one to a Diamond D130J discone or a Scantenna, and the other you could hook to a Yagi (specific to the band you listen to the most) on a rotor.

A tower would also be a great thing to have, but there can be be a lot of time, effort, and money involved in doing that. I happen to live in a house with a 2.5 story chimney on it, so I have my discone mounted to the top of two 10' metal masts attached to the chimney. If I had the time and money thought, there would definately be a tower next to my house.

Don't forget to get some good quality coax for those antennas too. Some LMR-400 will set you back a little bit versus some other coax out there, but the signals you'll pull in will outweigh the money spent.
 

2112

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Lemmesee... a $1000 starter kit:

BCT15: $230
UASD software: $30
Scantenna: $60
4-section Rohn 25 tower: $400 give or take
Feedline: $90
Connectors, polyphasers, grounding equipment, etc.: $90
Concrete footer for tower: $100 (this may be a very poor estimate)

Keep in mind that you might save money on the tower if you can recycle a tower gotten from elsewhere.

If I were to spend an unfettered $1000 on my shack right now, it would definitely be spent on putting up a tower.
 

tonsoffun

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$1000.00 That would be nice! I would get 1 new 996 that has all that would need in a scanner. Then spend the rest on some good antennas,tower,or mast which to me is the most important part of your station.
Take care
 

radio10-8

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Thanks everyone who replied to my question. 996T and is ordered, I found an old ham radio tower at a house for sale, The realtor said I can have it if I can take it down. Big job for me so I am pretty sure I am going to DPD productions for 2 other antennas, probably use a vent mount for now..
 

kb2vxa

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Hi Radio and all,

"Before people tell me that only "I" can tell what is best for me."

Now I'm SURE that was directed at me. (;->)

You see what a can of worms you have opened already dispite repeated warnings, now deal with it. When you're through wading through all those opinions peppered with thinly veiled "I told you so" remarks go back and parse the RR files and read how all your questions have been answered before time and time again. Then sit back and mull it all over, when all that is thoroughly digested you'll draw your own inevitable conclusions.

Only after going through this initiation ritual will you understand what we mean by only "I" can tell what is best for me." You're halfway there already, just apply the height is might rule to what you already know and before long the light bulb over your head will light up and illuminate the inevetable question you'll ask yourself, "Now why did I ask in the first place when I already knew that?"

Now go out and spend that kilobuck on a tower and pray you don't have CC&Rs or the neighborhood HOA Nazis to contend with. If that doesn't work maybe sacrificing your first born son to the radio god will help. (;->)

Edit;
"Thanks everyone who replied to my question. 996T and is ordered, I found an old ham radio tower at a house for sale, The realtor said I can have it if I can take it down. Big job for me so I am pretty sure I am going to DPD productions for 2 other antennas, probably use a vent mount for now."

"Excellent."
C. M. Burns
 
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